


Bring Your SoulMate to Sanditon

by lost_in_a_good_book



Category: Sanditon (TV 2019), Sanditon - Jane Austen, Soulmates (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Enemies to ???, Eventual Happy Ending, Gen, HEA, Light Angst, Modern AU, One True Pairing - Or Is There?, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Really really really slow burn, Romantic Confusion, Slow Burn, Soulmates Trope with a Twist, Stubborn!Charlotte, Stubborn!Sidney, To Be Continued, sidlotte or not?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:22:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26885824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lost_in_a_good_book/pseuds/lost_in_a_good_book
Summary: In 2023, science made a discovery that changed the lives of everyone on the planet - a test that unequivocally told you who your soulmate was. In 2033, Charlotte Heywood finally takes the SoulMate(™) test and there’s a Match with one Sidney Parker. He, though, took the Test years ago, and ever since has been trying to win back his non-Matched ex, Eliza Campion. Sidney vehemently rejects any idea of even considering someone else, no matter what her Test results might say. Matters come to a head this summer in and near the town of Sanditon on Block Island.
Relationships: Charlotte Heywood & Sidney Parker
Comments: 123
Kudos: 125





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Crossover with the AMC series "Soulmates," just from its first episode, for the overall series' premise. Anything you need to know about it in order to enjoy this is covered in the story. 
> 
> Current rating is based on some strong language. (Both leads tend to swear under stress!)
> 
> The town of Sanditon is played here by New Shoreham, the only town on Block Island. "The Block" is a small island in the Atlantic Ocean, nine miles off the coast of the state of Rhode Island.

_Do you want to keep looking for love through trial and error? Constantly chase some elusive romance? What if instead you could take a simple test that tells you the person you were meant to love the most, now with 100 percent accuracy? Discover your undeniable love connection with the SoulMate(™) Test!_

_\- Soul Connex Corp. ad, Spring 2033_ 


_From the SoulMate(™) Test’s Guide for Clients, 2033 Edition:_

_History of the Test -_ 
_In 2023, scientists at Soul Connex Corp. discovered the Soul Particle(™). This led to the invention of the Test - which unequivocally told you who your soulmate was. Everyone old enough to be in a romantic relationship felt they had to decide whether or not to take the Test._

_In many ways, life on our planet has not changed too much since 2019, the year that the first great COVID pandemic began. But while many technologies have stalled ever since that time (due to lack of workers, supplies, and buyers), the Test has continued to evolve. While some critics still raise philosophical questions about it, our client satisfaction rate has never been higher than it is today._




\- - - - - 

**Late May, 2033 - Sanditon, Rhode Island**

Her SoulMate was a Grade A asshole?! How could that be? The Test was supposed to find your perfect person, not some arrogant I-banking prick in movie-star Raybans and private-label boat shoes (of course with no socks) who didn’t “give a New York rat’s ass” about your Test results! And who looked at you as though you were dogshit stuck on those expensive shoes.

Charlotte stripped off her Parker House work shirt and threw it to the floor as hard as she could. That did not, however, make her feel one damn bit better. 

\- - - - -

_From the Client Guide :_

_Some questions you should ask yourself before you decide to take the SoulMate(™) Test:_

  * _Why do you want to take the Test?_
  * _How comfortable are you with the intersection of romantic love with science?_



____

\- - - - -

____

**Six weeks earlier (Mid-April) - Ithaca, New York**

____

“Ms. Heywood, I’m delighted to tell you that you have a Match!”

____

Charlotte stopped fidgeting with her phone and sat up, half happy and half scared witless. She still wasn’t sure that she 100% believed in the Test, but the dating prospects were so limited in rural upstate New York that she’d gone for it. (Hell, her best hits had been on dating sites aimed at farmers, and she really hoped to see a little more of the world than that.)

____

“Here’s the information on your Match. I’ll give you a few minutes to look through it, then I’ll be back to see if you have any questions.”

____

The second that the consultant left the room, Charlotte opened the folder. She'd told herself beforehand to look at the biography before she looked at the photo, but the headshot grabbed her immediately. Good looking, a bit swarthy, eyes even darker than her own, rather an intense expression. Classically square-jawed, but the overall look softened somewhat by tightly wavy hair. OK, she could get into that.

____

The bio was short: Sidney Parker, 36. One year at Harvard, left to form a couple of start ups (fizzled out), then got his MBA. Now an investment banker for a big-name firm in New York City; she wrinkled her nose at that. Family was from some New England island she’d only vaguely heard of. Three siblings, an older brother and a younger sister and brother. Never married - interesting, at his age, especially since the Test had made so many people think about romance since its rollout. But given his profession, probably a real workaholic. No mention of previous relationships.

____

She’d been hoping for a lot more information to tamp down her jitters; some of her friends had gotten thick dossiers for their Matches. So when the consultant reappeared, her first question was, “Why is there so little information on him?”

____

The consultant sat down opposite her, then said, a little slowly. “He’s an… unusual client. His results in our system actually date back to the first uses of the Test in late 2023.” 

____

Charlotte’s eyebrows went up as she asked, “So what happened? Did he not have a Match then?” She laughed suddenly. “Well, of course he didn’t, I mean, I was only 16, so I wasn’t in your system then. But why would someone take the Test ten years ago, when there were so few other people in the system?”

____

“Some were early adopters - it was brand-shiny-new, so they wanted to try it first, no matter what it was. But some were using it to help them decide about next steps in their existing relationships.”

____

“So which kind of testee was Sidney - I mean, Mr. Parker?”

____

The time that Charlotte had spent chatting with the consultant before and during the Test paid off, because the woman said, “Well, I shouldn’t, but - let me check to see if there are any more records on him….” She navigated a bit on her tablet, then looked up. “You won’t tell anyone I told you this?”

____

“Of course not!” Charlotte said, and meant it. “What did you find?”

____

“It looks as if Mr. Parker took the Test at the same time that his fiancee took it. But they weren’t a Match.”

____

“So does it say what happened with him - with them, I mean?”

____

“No. But in those early days, it was at best 50/50 odds that a couple would stay together if they weren’t Matched.”

____

\- - - 

____

Charlotte had been planning and saving up for a long time for the Test and for what she supposed would happen afterwards. So two weeks later, after she’d arranged for a friend to cover her role in her family’s farming business, she booked an economy room at one of New York City’s pod hotels, and an open-ended train ticket to Manhattan. 

____

She hadn’t been to the City in years, and this was a great excuse for a short vacation.

____

\- - - - -

____

_From the Client Guide :_

_Definition - SoulMate(™):_

_Your SoulMate is the person you will love the most, and who will love you more than anyone else. You and your SoulMate will feel the strongest, undeniable love._




____

____

____

\- - - - -

____

**Late April - New York, NY**

 _“Here goes nothing,”_ she thought, sitting up straight on the uncomfortable chair in her minuscule hotel room, and punched in the number.

“Lehman Brothers II - how many I help you?”

“I’d like to speak to Mr. Sidney Parker, please.”

“I’ll put you through to his office. May I say what this is about?”

“It’s a personal matter.”

“Thank you. Just a moment, please.”

A beep, then a male voice answered, “Sidney Parker’s office.”

“Yes, Mr. Parker, I’m - “

“I’m Mr. Parker’s assistant, Robert. Were you trying to reach Mr. Parker directly?”

“Yes. Um, it’s a personal matter.”

“Ah. Could you be a bit more specific?”

After a bit of verbal jousting, Charlotte was transferred to Mr. Parker’s executive assistant, Mrs. Griffiths. More jousting ensued, while Charlotte pictured a particularly fierce griffin guarding a king’s castle.

After a bit, Charlotte thought she heard a muffled “Oh for God’s sake, I’ll just take it and get this over with so we can all get back to work!”

Then, a beep and - “Ms. Heywood,” a deep voice said drily.

“Yes. Is this Mr. Parker?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, good. I’m Charlotte Heywood - “

“I know that already. Could you hurry it up?”

“Um, OK. I recently took the SoulMates test and - “

“Fucking hell, you’re another one.”

“Another one of what?” she asked, shocked at the language he’d use with a complete stranger.

“Another one of those girls who claim to have taken the Test, and, ooh, guess what, I’m their SoulMate!”

“But I **have** taken the Test - “

“Right, and I’m the Pope,” the voice said nastily. “Let me tell you, Ms. Hayseed or whatever your name is - you’re at least the third female this month to try this routine, and it doesn’t cut any mustard with me. You’re all so eager to get out of whatever podunk little town it is you live in and come to the big city and find some well-off guy who’ll show you a good time and pay for all your meals and tickets, and maybe move you to a better hotel than the pod you can afford, and then you give nothing in return except perhaps a goodnight kiss with too much strawberry lip gloss involved! And even if by some miracle you actually **aren’t** lying and **did** take the Test, I don’t believe in that goddamn bullshit. You are **not** my “soulmate” and I’m sure as **fuck** not yours!”

Charlotte stared at the “Call Ended” on her phone screen and could feel herself start to choke up. She hated to be bullied. And to be called a liar...!

She let herself sniffle for a couple of minutes, then blew her nose and said out loud, firmly, “Right. Fuck you too, buddy.” Then her sense of humor kicked in. “And who the hell says ‘cut the mustard,’ anyway?”

She sat up, thinking, _“Be brave, Charlotte!”_

Retrieving her copy of Before, During, and After The SoulMate Test (™): A Client’s Guide, she flopped onto the bed and started reading the section on ‘If Your First Contact Should Not Go As Expected.'

\- - - - - - -

____


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2: Thanks for all the supportive comments on the first chapter - I am so glad that you like the premise.
> 
> Important Note for this chapter and beyond: Some of Sidney and/or Charlotte’s behavior may look a little stalker-ish, but that is NOT where this is going, I assure you! This will be a romcom through and through.

\- - - - - - -

**Late April, 2033 - New York, NY**

“Come the hell in!” Sidney shouted.

“And a good morning to you too, boss!” Mrs. Griffiths replied calmly as she entered his office. “Bad day already?” she asked, having noticed not two but three empty Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew cups that hadn’t quite made it into the wastebasket.

“The f-- freakin’ Wentworth deal has hit another goddam snag!” he snapped. 

“Anything the staff can help with?”

“No…not at this point.” He sighed, loudly. “So - what new crap are you about to dump on me?”

She grinned. “Have you checked your second email account recently?”

“No, I’ve been just a little busy!” he replied sarcastically, but with a twist of his lips that softened the snark. “Out with it, madam!”

Mrs. Griffiths said, with a little too much pleasure, “There’s a message for you from Ms. Heywood.”

“Who?”

“You remember - the young lady who called the other day about the Test? I believe you referred to her as Ms. ‘Hayseed’.”

Sidney executed his trademark epic eye roll, with an equally epic groan. “Oh, hell! And you think I should look at her email, **why?** ”

“She included an attachment, and it’s called ‘Proof.’ ” 

\- - - - -

Charlotte had hit “Send” first thing that morning, then set out for a long walk to explore the neighborhood around her hotel. She promised herself not to refresh her email more than once every hour, but renegotiated herself down to every twenty minutes when she felt the constant itch to pull out her phone.

\- - - - -

It was a long day, even for Sidney, and he ended it in no better a mood than he’d started it in. He got to his apartment after 9:00 PM, and as soon as he’d stripped off his corporate camouflage and pulled on sweats and jeans, he poured himself a drink from the first decanter that came to hand. Sprawling on his living room couch, he pulled out his phone to check for any last to-dos before he scrounged up something to eat. The ping of Mrs. Griffiths' reminder to review his secondary emails made him wince. 

“All right, let’s see what Ms. Hayseed has to say this time,” he muttered, opening her email. He skimmed her message, then opened the attachment. With a slightly sour smile, he thought, _“Well, at least this one didn’t include a glamor shot!”_ He shook his head once to clear it, then started to type. 

\- - - - -

Finally, finally her stupid phone pinged! She’d been running diagnostics on it since late afternoon, afraid that somehow it or her email had stopped working. 

And yes, it was a response from Sidney Parker. 

_Ms. Hayward,_

_How the hell did you get this email address? I suppose you’d like to be commended for your research skills._

_So you sent “proof” that you did take the Test. Are you really that **ignorant** that you don’t know about editing programs? No, I think you found a sample on the internet and had someone help you doctor it!_

_About your hope: I don’t think badly of you for how you broke “the news.” In fact, if Mrs. Griffiths hadn’t told me about your email, I wouldn’t have thought of you at all. Ever again._

_Does that disappoint you? If so, I can’t say that I’m sorry._

_In case I haven’t made myself clear, “SoulMate,”_

_Fuck the fuck off,_

_S. Parker_




Charlotte sat back, scrunching her face in disbelief. She could understand one brush off; she had called him at his job, after all, and anyone could have a bad day. But this email felt like he’d taken extra trouble to be offensive and even deliberately hurtful!

What the **hell** kind of a “Match” was this?

She’d chosen not to look him up on the internet before she contacted him, not wanting to know more than the Match folder had told her, so she could judge him for herself. _“You have to admit, he does make a memorable first impression - just hope he doesn’t kiss his mother with that mouth!”_ She snickered at her thought, then said out loud, “Diss my research skills, will you, Mr. S-for-shithead Parker? OK, let me see what I can find to explain what a jerkoff you’re being!” as she pulled up her web browser.

\- - - - -

_From the Client Guide, 1st Edition, 2023:_

_Some questions you should ask yourself before you decide to take the SoulMate(™) Test (v. 1.3):_

  * _What existing romantic relationship(s) do you have?_
  * _How could it (they) be affected if you take the Test and have a Match? If you take it but don’t have a Match?_



\- - - - - 

Feeling a little better after he’d eaten something, Sidney paced his living room floor; he always thought more clearly when he could move around. After a couple of minutes, he pulled out his laptop, brought up his personal email account, and went into the “IGNORE” folder. There, as he’d suspected, he found an email from Soul Connex Corp., dated about two weeks ago. Its subject line was disconcerting.

As he opened it, he said half-aloud, “All right, Ms. Hayseed - let’s see if you’re for real.”

The info on his “Match” was minimal, with a note explaining that she had only just been added to the SoulMate database: Charlotte Heywood, 26. B.S (ha! he thought) from SUNY Binghamton. Masters’ degree in agricultural engineering from Cornell. Currently employed in her family’s farming business in Willingden, NY, role not given. And that was it - there wasn’t even a photo.

Feeling just a little bit creepy, he set out to find her on social media. But he believed in Sun Tzu’s advice to “know your enemy and know yourself, and find naught to fear for 100 battles,” so he dove into his research.

\- - -

An hour or so later, he sat back. He knew a lot more about her, but most of it was trivial. And he couldn’t see anything obvious that would make Soul Connex claim that she was his “Match.” Of course, the corporation’s technology was proprietary information and closely guarded. But even after ten years, Sidney still believed there were algorithms behind it, not some woo-woo “Soul Particle.”

He brought up her photo on screen again. Cute enough, he supposed, if you liked the slightly curvy brunette girl-next-door look. Which was not at all **his** type.

He gathered up the few sheets he’d printed out and went to his safe. After opening it, he put the papers inside; then after a brief hesitation, pulled out a folder.

It bore the original Soul Connex Corp. logo from 2023. He knew the contents by heart, but opened it anyway. SoulMate Test results for two clients, who were not a Match for each other. The man had no Match in the system at the time; the woman did, but no name was given in this report. 

Sidney only let himself look at the woman’s photo once in a great while, even though there still were pictures buried on his phone, copied over the years. This photo froze her in time, still the tall, slim blonde he had planned to marry and spend the rest of his life with. He had been so, so certain that she was his true partner, who understood him as no one else ever could. But the Test took that, and Eliza Campion, away from him, despite his best attempts to fight it.

He shoved the folder back into the safe as he yelled, choking, “God **damn** you, Charlotte Heywood, for bringing this shit back into my life!” 

Not that (if he were honest with himself) he hadn’t already been trying to figure out how he could approach Eliza on the Block this summer. 

\- - - - -

_From the Client Guide, current (2033) Edition :_

_Definition - SoulMate(™), continued:_

_A SoulMate **isn’t** someone who is going to "fix" you. _




\- - - - -

Charlotte sat back. She knew a bit more about him, but much of it was contradictory. She’d been a psych minor in college, though, and she still liked to entertain herself by observing people and trying to draw conclusions. So what judgments could she form about her Match with Sidney Parker?

Parents divorced when he was 12; sent him to boarding school at age 14. -- Not at all like her experiences. -- Likely some addiction issues in his mid-20s, substance and gambling. He fell out of sight for a while, rumored to have gone through rehab. -- No match there! (Oh, ok, social drinking and _occasional_ pot.) -- From that time, there were also some cryptic mentions of him in the police blotter column of the Island Herald, the newspaper for the island where most of his family still lived and worked. -- Her? Just the odd traffic ticket.

Hard to tell about his relationship with his family. In the few pictures she could find, they looked close. But in that same clouded period, when Sidney was in his mid-to-late 20s, something had changed. The Island Herald used to mention him fairly often, especially during the summer seasons, until that time. After that, there was maybe one mention per summer of a brief visit.

She assumed that like a lot of NY City finance types, he now preferred to vacation in the Hamptons. Which might be hard on his family, the rest of whom all seemed to be involved, since the pandemics, in returning the island to its former status as a popular tourist destination.

Charlotte closed her laptop and thought. Would it be really weird of her to go to Block Island and just see what it was like? She hated to give up on a problem until it was resolved one way or another, and a lot of things about Sidney potential-putz Parker bothered her, since the Test thought they belonged with each other. Plus she still had a while, after her time in NY City was up, until she needed to be back at her job.

 _“What the hell,”_ she thought. She re-opened her computer and started searching for inexpensive places to stay on the island.

But she still planned to call Soul Connex’s 1-800 number in the morning to ask more about the validity and reliability of their Test - and their rate of “false positive” Matches!

\- - - - - - -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2: 
> 
> Note for this chapter and beyond: While I'll reference real Block Island items (such as the newspaper), all names have been changed to protect the innocent-of-any-association-with-this-fic!
> 
> This fic will be updated after I do another chapter for Love Dwells. Thanks for reading.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3: Thanks for all your comments on the previous chapter - glad you're still enjoying the premise and the characters (especially unimproved!Sidney). This update took a while because this chapter kept growing!

\- - - - - - -

_**True love exists.** Whether you've been searching for that perfect someone for an eternity, or had failed relationships in the past, we know your match is out there. Discover for yourself._

_\- Soul Connex site, Spring 2033_




\- - - - - 

**Mid-May, 2033 - Sanditon, Block Island, RI ******

********

********

Charlotte loved ferry rides, how they made you feel that you were traveling to someplace truly different. There wasn’t much to see during this one once they’d left the mainland, so she chatted happily with other passengers.

After about an hour, one of her new acquaintances pointed to starboard and said, “There it is!” In the distance, Charlotte could see a lighthouse perched at the end of a spit of land. Next came bluffs, then a few old houses scattered on top of them. Finally, the town of Sanditon came into sight.

Her “SoulMate” had picked a romantic-looking place to grow up. Pity that the atmosphere hadn’t rubbed off on him!

\- - -

As the hotel’s van pulled into the parking lot, Charlotte craned her neck, hoping for a better view of the sea. The driver saw her, grinned, and said, “The best view is from the terrace - take a look once you’ve checked in!”

She couldn’t help but see it as she entered the hotel’s lobby, for it lay straight ahead. A chuckle from the front desk drew her attention back from the view. The blonde woman behind the counter smiled knowingly and asked, “Impressive, isn’t it?”

“Oh, yes!” Charlotte replied. “It’s beautiful!”

“Go on and take a look before we check you in!”

Charlotte went all the way to the edge of the terrace. A green lawn, with wooden lounge chairs scattered about, rolled down towards the bluff’s edge and the sea. She inhaled the fresh, damp air and fell instantly in love with the place. But she had things to accomplish during her visit, so she returned to the front desk.

“Thank you for letting me see that!” she told the lady there.

“You’re welcome - any time! Now, you are…?”

“Charlotte Heywood; I have a reservation for the week.”

“Ms. Heywood - yes, for the Hodges Cottage. I’m Mary Parker, by the way,” the woman said. “My family runs this place. Well, my husband’s family owns it, but we all work for at least one of the properties.”

“Oh, how nice!” Charlotte responded, surprised. She knew that the Parkers were in business on the island, but in her hurry to grab a room, hadn’t realized that where she’d be staying was one of their businesses. _”Well, all the better for learning more about the pissy Mr. S-,”_ she thought.

As Charlotte went through the credit-card process, she got a whiff of something herbal and floral as another woman, a bit younger than Mrs. Parker, put an open box on the counter and said, “I’ve changed out the potpourri bowls in all the rooms, Mary. Do you need anything else before I head back to the shop?”

“No - oh, would you mind walking down with Ms. Heywood and showing her where her room is in Hodges? I’ve put her in Harriet’s.” Turning back to Charlotte, Mary explained, “We call it the ‘secret passage’ room because it’s a bit roundabout to get to it from inside the Cottage! This is my sister-in-law, Diana Parker, and she can show you.”

Charlotte made an instant friend when she turned to Diana and said, “Oh, thank you! And what is that wonderful smell?”

\- - -

In the few minutes it took Charlotte and Diana to walk back towards the harbor and the Cottage, Charlotte learned a bit more about who did what in the Parker family businesses. Mary’s husband Tom ran the overall enterprise. Tom and Diana’s youngest brother, Arthur, was the executive chef for the hotel and their separate restaurant, the Skiff, at the other harbor. Diana had her own shop in town, selling a variety of island-made goods, and kept the hotel and its cottages supplied with the little luxuries that made the rooms special. Mary managed the day-to-day customer service for all their properties, and with Diana, also coordinated any special events held at the Parker properties. The latter kept them particularly busy from spring through fall, because the Block was a popular destination-wedding spot for couples from New England to Washington DC.

“Goodness!” Charlotte exclaimed. “That sounds like very few people to run such a large set of business! My family is lucky to have a lot of us to run everything; how do you manage it all?” 

Diana laughed. “We just make it work somehow - though it can be madness! At least for the big holiday weekends, we ask anyone from the family who lives off-Island to get themselves back here and help! But that’s enough about the Parkers; tell me, why did you decide to visit the Block?”

\- - -

Charlotte’s assigned room at the Cottage was perfect - old-fashioned but clean and comfortable; it reminded her of her family’s farmhouse. Much more her style than the mod pod in NYC had been. Heck, it was so old-timey on the Island that, Diana explained, they didn’t even lock the doors!

\- - - 

Her week passed quickly. 

Everyone at the town library had been very helpful when she told them she wanted to look into the recent history of agricultural land use on the island (her private name for which was “history of Sidney Parker.”) The Island Herald’s archives were still on microfilm and microfiche rather than digital, which was a pain but gave Charlotte the excuse to look through many more issues than she otherwise could have justified. And thereby comb the “society” column and police blotter.

Sidney Parker’s name appeared in both while he was growing up: in the former for Parker parties and events for island residents, and in the latter for occasional teenage pranks that had gotten sufficiently out of hand for some annoyed neighbor to call the cops. 

In his late high school years, the pictures started to include a very pretty, leggy blonde standing next to Sidney - her name was Eliza Campion, and she’d recently moved to the island, though her family had summered there her whole life. By the time they were college-aged, their names were paired together regularly in the summer society write-ups. Once Eliza had finished college, and Sidney was on his second start-up, the column asked cutsie questions about when an engagement might be announced. And the police blotter hadn’t included S. Parker for at least a couple of years.

All that changed in the summer of 2023 - the year that Sidney and Eliza had taken the Test, Charlotte recalled. There were no more photos of them together. Instead, Eliza was shown more and more regularly with another, older man. Sidney, when there were pictures with him - his non-attendance at events was noted - was sometimes caught in the background of photos, glaring at the new couple. 

The police blotter, though, now featured him with some regularity. For the first summer, it was for being drunk and disorderly. In the following few years, that escalated to drunk driving, trespassing, and even vandalism charges, usually at the Campion’s property. 

The mentions changed again around the July 4th weekend in 2028 (five years after Sidney and Eliza took the Test). The police blotter disappeared from the paper, with no explanation. And starting with that holiday weekend, the society column ceased to gossip; it just matter-of-factly reported a few key events and a few important people seen there. 

However, in the first few issues after that July 4th, there were brief reports of a fire at one of the big houses on the island over the holiday. The owners weren’t named, though, and the results of any investigation were never printed. Only after Charlotte put together a few disparate pieces of information and checked them against property maps did she come to suspect that the fire had been at the Campion’s house.

The next summer, there were no mentions whatsoever of Sidney in the island paper. Charlotte knew, from her internet research, that he was rumored to have been in rehab at the time.

The following few summers, there were only brief glimpses of him on the Block, usually around the Fourth of July. But after that holiday each year, the paper mentioned a stunt that someone had pulled (an unusual airplane banner, small boats gliding by with printing on their sails that spelled out a message, even the items at a clambake found to form words when they were uncovered). The paper never gave details of who was involved in either performing or viewing the stunt, or what the message was. They were treated as “you had to have been there” moments, and covered just enough to reassure the people who’d glimpsed them that they weren’t imaging things due to heat stroke. But Charlotte had a strong suspicion about what, and who, was behind them, though she didn’t understand the “why.”

All this research didn’t really tell Charlotte anything other than that Sidney Parker was a major screw-up when it came to relationships, or at least one major relationship - which she’d assumed already. She actually felt a little sorry for him now. Hell, even her worst dating stories probably couldn’t hold a candle to one of his desperate-in-love moments! Therefore, that shouldn’t be the basis for their Match.

So… what was he like when he wasn’t angry about the Test or obsessing over his lost love?

\- - - 

It took Charlotte a lot of chatting with members of the Parker family, but after becoming their new best friend for giving them expert horticultural tips to help with their properties’ gardens, they opened up to her. 

She learned that while they loved Sidney, they all admitted that when he was around other people, he could be “volatile.” One evening, she listed out her findings and conclusions: 

  * could be abrupt and didn’t show his best side with strangers _(no shit, Sherlock!)_
  * was angry when pulled between helping the family with their businesses on the island, and having time enough for his own work _(did sound a little bit like her own conflict about staying in her family’s business versus striking out on her own)_
  * found fault with any available woman he’d met due to a past “bruising” experience; it was rare for him to get past a first date, and he never made it past a third _(well, they might have dating failures in common, though not for the same reasons)._
  * But despite how he could come off, his family also all said that:
    * he was the most “sensible” of the Parker siblings _(interesting for a middle child; Charlotte thought she’d been labelled that because she was the eldest)_
    * and he had a good heart _(yet to be demonstrated to her!)._



Despite all this, Charlotte still didn’t see enough that they had in common to explain why they’d been Matched. If anything, there was a lot more evidence to show that they **shouldn’t** have been compatible! But this wouldn’t be the first time she hadn’t been able to figure out what the hell was going on in some guy’s head, so she’d just have to contact the Soul Connex Corp. again once she was home and bug them for answers.

\- - - - -

The weather promised to be glorious for her final days there, so Charlotte decided to say the hell with the research and enjoy herself. 

She was amazed at the number of people who poured off the first ferry on Saturday morning and at how quickly they packed Sanditon Town. Even Hodges Cottage was busy with people moving into their rooms, so she decided to check out some of the island’s more remote spots.

\- - -

On Sunday, after spending the day exploring the beaches on the west side of the island, she was pleased to see that the town was much quieter; the last ferry of the day had pulled out two hours ago, and anyone left was likely having drinks or dinner. Which she also looked forward to doing. 

She got back to her room and paused in the doorway, trying to remember if she’d left the bedside lamp on, then realized that housekeeping must have done so, since the door had been left unlocked as they always did. She washed up quickly and pulled on some clean clothes. Then she went to her suitcase, where she’d stashed her valuables, to pull out more cash and a credit card. But there was nothing there - no cash, no cards. Even her return ferry ticket was gone!

“Shit! Shit shit shit!” she exclaimed, tearing up a little at having her vacation spoiled. But then she looked for the paper with the hotel’s list of numbers to contact in various situations.

“Sanditon Police Department,” the voice on the phone answered.

\- - -

Charlotte was in the middle of going over everything with the police officers who’d showed up when she heard people coming up the back steps. “Tom, Mary,” one of the police officers said with a nod as the two Parkers came in the room.

Mary rushed over to Charlotte and hugged her, asking urgently, “Are you all right?” while Tom conferred with the officers.

“I’m fine, really!” Charlotte said, but sniffling slightly. “I’m just tired and hungry on top of this, is all.”

“Well, that at least we can fix right away!” Mary exclaimed. She pulled out her cellphone, pressed the speed dial, and when it was answered, said, “Arthur, where are you now? Good - we have a guest who needs some comfort food. Can you get someone to have something ready in about -” she looked at the police officers, one of whom mouthed ‘15,’ then continued, “15 to 20 minutes? Thanks!” Mary pressed a different number and told the person answering, “Hi - please have someone in housekeeping prepare room 12 - Yes, tonight; we’re moving a guest in from another room. Thank you.” She smiled at Charlotte and said, “As soon as the officers are done, let’s pack your things. We’re going to move you into the main building tonight.”

\- - -

“How did you hear about the robbery?” Charlotte asked, between bites of one of Arthur’s concoctions. 

“Island grapevine!” Tom said mysteriously.

Mary laughed at Charlotte’s befuddled expression. “Actually, it is a bit like that - the police call us whenever anything is reported to them at any of our properties, and even if they suspect that something might be going on!”

“We want to be sure that our guests don’t have to deal with a situation on their own,” Diana added, giving Charlotte’s shoulders a quick squeeze. 

“And do you all turn out when there’s a problem?” asked Charlotte.

“Yes,” Diana said, then whispered conspiratorially, “We’re telepaths!” That succeeded in getting a giggle from Charlotte.

“Parker Rescue Squad, that’s what we are,” Arthur said.

“Speaking of which…,” Tom started, a little slowly, looking around at the family members as if for confirmation. “You might be able to rescue us from a... situation, Ms. Heywood.”

“Rescue you? What do you mean?” Charlotte asked.

“Well, while of course we’ll cover all the cash that was stolen from you, we were thinking - if you wanted to wait on the Block for a few days until your new credit cards can arrive, we could use your help.”

“Oh, but the card companies will be sending replacements to me at home.”

“We wouldn’t feel right about sending you on a long trip home with just cash and not even one card; what if your car breaks down? If you stay here for at least a few more days, you could get a new card delivered here.”

Charlotte frowned; that was a very good point.

Tom pressed his advantage. “And while we’d be happy, of course, to let you stay on as our guest - on the house - you could do us a good turn in the meantime.” He rubbed his forehead, then continued, “You see, we’re going to be short staffed for the Memorial Day holiday next weekend. It’s one of our busiest weekends of the year, but with the current pandemic restrictions, we’ve had trouble hiring our usual college students in time for them to be cleared. But if you stay, by Friday you’ll have been here a week and so you’ll be OK to work with the public, even in food service.” He smiled sheepishly and asked, “By any chance, have you ever waited tables?”

Charlotte laughed. “I grew up in a farming area, and as soon as a kid is old enough, you work any job you can get. So, yes, I’ve waited tables! And I’d be happy to stay through the holiday weekend and help. You’ve all been so nice to me!”

“Excellent!” Mary exclaimed. “And you can enjoy the island some more in your free time!”

 _“And learn anything else I can about Sidney Parker while I’m working with them,”_ thought Charlotte.

\- - - - -

So after breakfast the next morning, Mary helped Charlotte pack again, then took her over to the old Parker House. The rambling old building was both where the family lived, and also where they housed the summer employees.

Then she was handed off from Parker to Parker for a whirlwind tour of the businesses and discussions of where she could be the most help and when.

\- - - - -

Thursday evening after the hotel’s cocktail hour, Charlotte was on her hands and knees under a serving table retrieving some errant cherry tomatoes when someone stopped directly in front of her. From beneath the tablecloth, all she could see was a pair of large, expensively shod, sockless male feet. She was tired, hot, and sticky, and thought, _“Why do men believe that their hairy ankles are at all attractive?”_ just as the possessor of said ankles called out loudly, “Why is there nothing left for me to **eat?!”**

The voice, or at least the tone of it, seemed vaguely familiar; but after a second Charlotte just categorized it as _“NY City entitled sonofabitch.”_ She sighed and crawled to the far end of the table so as not to emerge right under his nose.

While she was crawling, she heard a chorus of Parker-family voices exclaiming, “There you are!” “You came tonight after all!” “How was the drive?” Charlotte surfaced to see them surrounding the personification of a Ralph Lauren ad, if Lauren had ever mixed sailing and tennis clothes. To whit, a very fit, tanned male with expensive sunglasses perched on top of his just-so-casually ruffled haircut, and a tailored navy-blue (of course) blazer over his polo (of course) shirt that just covered his chino’d and doubtless private-trainer-perfect butt. Then he turned slightly; she saw his profile and gasped.

The sound attracted the group’s attention. Tom smiled as he said, “Oh, Sid, this is our newest employee, Charl - “

“What the fu-- freaking **hell** are **you** doing here?!” Sidney Parker spat out, taking a step towards Charlotte.

“Do you two know each other?”

“Yes!” Sidney shouted.

“No!” Charlotte exclaimed at the same time, then, “Wait - how the - er, how did you know who I am?”

“You’re not the only one who can do internet research, Ms. Hayseed!”

“It’s Hey **wood,** and that’s creepy!”

“And it’s **not** creepy to call my office and claim to be my “SoulMate”? And follow that up by contacting me at a private email address, when I told you I didn’t give a New York rat’s ass even if you **had** taken the Test? And then you just HAPPEN to turn up here, and HAPPEN to be working for my family’s business? I should have you arrested for stalking!”

“I am NOT - “

“Okaaaaaaaay,” Arthur said, stepping between Sidney and Charlotte. “Timeout, both of you!” He gave a pointed look to Tom as he said, “Tom, why don’t you and Diana take Sid to the kitchen and get him something to eat?” As Sidney started to protest, Arthur held up a hand. “You know you’re even more of an a-hole than usual when you’re hungry, big brother!” 

He turned to Charlotte then. “And let’s you, me, and Mary go to the office for a minute, please.”

With a glare over their shoulders at each other, the combatants were escorted away.

\- - - - - 

In the kitchen: 

“What the hell, Sidney?” his older brother asked as they perched on some stools at a counter.

“You have no fucking idea, Tom - sorry, Di! She pestered me about the goddam Test, and now she shows up here?!” 

Putting a plate of cheese and crackers, plus a bottle of local IPA, in front of her hangry brother, Diana said calmly, “Let’s start at the beginning, please.”

\- - - 

Two bottles of ale later, Sidney was staring off into space while his siblings traded looks.

“Yes, it’s a little...unusual… that she decided to come to the Block. But the Test is so expensive, I can’t blame her for wanting to find out why it didn’t make a correct Match. And she couldn’t possibly have known that you’d be coming just now,” said Diana.

Sidney snorted. “‘Unusual’ is putting it a bit **mildly,** don’t you think? And never mind what she knew, she’s here now, so am I, and I don’t like that one goddamn bit! So what are we going to do about it?”

“You’re not going to do anything about it,” Tom said. “She’s our employee - and, frankly, becoming a friend - so the rest of us will decide. **You** are going to go to Parker House and try to chill out!”

The oldest brother quickly held up his hand as Sidney scowled and started to speak. “Sorry, Sidney, but we need all the help we can get this holiday, and Charlotte’s been great at anything we’ve given her to do this week. Keeping her here may be what’s best for the family.”

“And I just have to suck it up, then?” Sidney growled. “Sorry, Di. But I hauled ass all the way here from Manhattan in holiday traffic, Tom, and I really don’t need this shit in my life right now!”

“I know,” Diana said with a sympathetic smile. “And we haven’t decided yet, OK? So go and rest up!”

As Sidney sighed and went to grab more IPA to take with him, Tom added, “Oh, and we weren’t expecting you until tomorrow at least, so your apartment isn’t ready - paint fumes, I’m afraid. You’ll need to crash in the dorm overnight.”

Sidney rolled his eyes in disgust and stomped out of the kitchen.

\- - - - - 

Meanwhile, in the main office:

“So,” Arthur asked as he gestured Charlotte to a chair, “What just happened?”

As she sat down opposite Charlotte, Mary said, not quite far enough under her breath to be missed, “That was excessive, even for Sidney!”

Charlotte took a deep breath, then told them about her last six weeks.

\- - - 

“I have to apologize; I shouldn’t -”

“There’s no need for that, Charlotte,” Mary said kindly. “If I were in your shoes, I’d probably have done the same thing.” (“I know I would have,” Arthur muttered, but with a big grin.)

“But I feel like I took advantage of you -”

“You did no such thing,” Arthur said firmly. “Yes, we told you some stuff about Sidney, but we told you plenty of other stuff about the rest of us Parkers too - face it, we like to talk to anyone who seems even vaguely interested!”

“And people who’ve met Sidney often are curious about him,” added Mary. “Tom likes to call Sid a ‘conundrum’ because he’s hard to read, and even harder to get to know.”

“Not to mention that his dating record is even messier than mine!” Arthur chimed in. His sister-in-law smacked him on the arm even as she gave him what Charlotte was starting to recognize as the Parker family’s “significant look.”

“We’re not going to make a final decision tonight, OK?” Arthur told Charlotte, rubbing his arm in mock pain. “We need to talk it over as a family, then we’ll let you know after breakfast tomorrow.”

\- - - - -

“Well, **that** just happened!” Charlotte muttered as she got back to the lobby. She thought for a minute, then decided that she wanted to email Soul Corp tonight so she’d have a chance of getting to sleep. The sooner she let them know that the first in-person contact had been a disaster too, the sooner she might get an explanation - or a refund.

Since the wifi back at the dorm was iffy, she slipped into the hotel dining room to write and send the message.

\- - -

“What the **fuck** just happened?” Sidney asked himself as he exited the kitchen. From habit, he took a quick look around the floor before he headed out. There was someone in the dining room using their phone; a second later, he realized that it was the ubiquitous Ms. Hayseed. Sidney scowled, shook his head in disappointment at his family’s indecisiveness, and strode out of the hotel.

\- - -

As she passed through the lobby on her way outside, Charlotte glimpsed the Parkers gathered in the office. They noticed her too, so she called out “Just using the wifi! Good night!”

Through a chorus of “Good nights!”, Mary came out and said, “Charlotte! Don’t worry - I think we can bring Sidney round, somehow….”

A little sadly - because she really did like working with the Parkers - Charlotte replied, “He’s your family; I’ll understand if you want me to leave. But thank you for saying that, Mary.”

On the walk to her dorm room, though, she got more and more upset.

\- - -

“So - we’re agreed?” Tom asked. “Charlotte stays, at the very least through Memorial Day, and we’ll just all try to keep an eye on her and on Sidney.”

“Keeping them apart enough so that they don’t fight in public, but not so far apart that she’s not a distraction for him, right?” Arthur enquired with a grin, to confirm their decision.

“Exactly,” Mary replied. “Anything - anyone - who can get Sidney’s mind off of being back here and near Eliza Campion is a good thing.”

“Especially this year!” Diana added, sounding a bit ominous. “Maybe I should burn some sage, just to be on the safe side.”

\- - - - -

The alarm went off way too early for someone who hadn’t slept well. Charlotte groaned before rolling out of bed. She winced when she saw that she’d just left her work shirt on the floor where she’d thrown it down last night; she was usually conscientious about such things. So she retrieved it and deposited it in her laundry bag before she gathered up her shower stuff.

Rubbing the crud out of her eyes, she wasn’t paying attention on her trek to the bathroom, until she ran smack into a very tall, muscular, and slightly hairy slab of man.

“Ms. Hayfork! Can’t I ever get away from you?” asked the slab sarcastically. 

Char made her eyes focus and found in them a somewhat damp and mostly naked Mr. S-for-shithead Parker, with only a too-small towel slung around his hips, and gravity was threatening to deprive him of even that decency. Hauling her eyes up to his face, she retorted, “Again, it’s Hey **wood,** and what are you doing here?”

“Funny, I was under the impression that you’d noticed my arrival yesterday,” he answered, smirking as he leaned back against the bathroom’s door frame. “I can ask the same question of you. I thought my family would have kicked you off the island after they met last night!” 

“Maybe, unlike **some** people, your family believed me!” 

“They probably wanted to sleep on it. Soft touches, the lot of them,” Sidney muttered. For a second, he couldn’t entirely blame them - her big, puppy-dog-brown eyes were appealing, if you liked that sort of thing. Which he definitely didn’t. With a small shake of his head, he re-focused. “So what fairy tale did you tell them to explain why you came to the Block?”

“I told them the truth.”

“Really? That you’re here stalking me?”

“No! That I’m here to try and understand how the Test could have produced such an **obvious** mis-match!”

“I’d like to know that myself!”

“Well then…!”

“Well then...?”

“Well then, since we actually seem to agree on something, perhaps we could both get on with our mornings!” Charlotte almost shouted.

“Be my guest.” When she didn’t move, he arched one dark eyebrow.

“It would help if you got out of my way!”

Sidney stepped aside and gave a mock bow as she passed. Fortunately, he had excellent reflexes, so he was able to keep his towel from dropping completely off in the process. He couldn’t swear to it, but he thought he’d seen a dimple appear in her cheek at that.

Maybe he **wouldn’t** browbeat his siblings into firing her after all.

\- - - - - - -

\- - - - - - -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About the fire that Charlotte suspects happened at the Campion's house - Sidney is NOT an arsonist! As you probably already figured out, he was behind the subsequent stunts each July 4th. The fire was an accident as a result of his first attempted stunt on that holiday.
> 
> Comments and kudos are always most welcome!

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter One:
> 
> This is my first modern AU, so comments and constructive feedback are especially welcome!
> 
> Any overlap with other Sanditon modern AU fics is unintentional. We are using the same characters and sometimes the same beachy backdrop, so there could be accidental similarities.
> 
> Updates to this will be interspersed with updates to my other currently running chapter story, "Love Dwells Not in Our Will" (https://archiveofourown.org/works/26133625/chapters/63578089) .


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